The Buffalo Sabres want Mikhail Grigorenko to play hockey and they want him to do it with his junior team, the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, as they assigned him there this morning.

Grigorenko apparently has other ideas.

According to Kathleen Lavoie of La Presse (link in French), Grigorenko is refusing to report to Quebec. That report was confirmed by Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald via Grigorenko’s agent, Jay Grossman. The agent wouldn’t comment further until he spoke with the team.

At 19 years old, Grigorenko doesn’t have many options on where to go. He’s too young to be assigned to the AHL and playing junior hockey is essentially his only outlet if he’s not staying in Buffalo.